1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an exterior mirror assembly for a vehicle and, more particularly, to an exterior mirror assembly for a vehicle that includes a forward folding feature.
2. Discussion
Due to constraints for shipping vehicles, especially those for large trucks, mirror assemblies for these vehicles are often times not designed with a heavy emphasis on their appearance or functionality. In shipping vehicles, it is frequently a constraint that the mirror assemblies cannot extend outwardly of any other portion of the vehicle. Accordingly, mirror assemblies were typically designed as flat as possible so that they could be rotated backward to comply with the above shipping constraint.
Construction of the mirror assembly in this manner often resulted in a device having a generic appearance which did not compliment or accent the appearance of the vehicle in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Furthermore, it was not possible with such designs to utilize the mirror assembly for anything other than housing and supporting a reflective element.